Wednesday, November 18, 2020

This year has been a challenging one for manufacturers and other businesses, with the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe global recession forcing major disruptions in activity. While manufacturers report rebounds in demand, production and employment since the spring months, each of these measures remains well below pre-pandemic levels. This session will highlight economic data for the sector, both in the U.S. and globally, and there will be a lively discussion about the outlook for 2021 and beyond. 

Learning Objectives:

• Economic Outlook
• Manufacturing Challenges during COVID-19
• Future of Work

2020 delivered a lot of challenges, especially to cash flows of almost all organizations. Join Rich Davis of RSM as he addresses three critical issues for managing cash flows in 2020 and beyond.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Foundations of managing cash. Understand the ways to measure and manage cash flows post Covid and how organizations should develop tools to measure True Cash Flows.
• 2. Levers to Liberate Cash Flows. Learn how to make the connection between operations and how the finance function manages cash flows to generate and allow operations to leverage all the tools it can to generate funds for operations and investments.
• 3. Tools to Harness Existing Systems. New software might be wonderful, but there are many ways to leverage information from existing systems to help manage the cash flows of the organization.

Dynamic discussion of the evolving state of manufacturing and the global supple chain.  The session will cover strategic issues all financial executives should understand to be sure they are considering while planning for their businesses in the future world.  We will discuss critical questions such as : What is happening to re-shoring and US manufacturing?  Is the Age of Asia dead, on pause or something else?  What happens post Covid?  Now that the US election is over will we see any changes to trade wars and tariffs?  We will review survey data and evidence to support moves US manufacturers should consider and we will do it trying to leave emotions and nationalism out of the equation.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the global supply chain from a NON US centric viewpoint - what should I know, what don't I know, what should I follow to be up to date
• Understand how to consider incorporate global manufacturing moves into your businesses strategic planning and budgeting
• Leave this session convinced your business needs to be globally aware but not necessarily globally active to be competitive.

Manufacturers are increasingly under threat from cyberattacks resulting in data an privacy breaches. This session will cover key cyber risk threats in advanced manufacturing and new threats that have recently emerged. The session will also cover best practices, and preventive safeguards to protect your company.

Learning Objectives:

• • Understand current trends in cyberattacks
• • Understand ways to mitigate cyber risk